The Vegas Golden Knights closed the book on their 2023 Stanley Cup Championship as they skated to a 4-1 win against the Seattle Kraken on Opening Knight on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
The Golden Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead as Chandler Stephenson scored the team's first goal of the season at 7:16 of the first period. Jonathan Marchessault was the beneficiary of a wacky bounce that ended up behind Philipp Grubauer to give Vegas a 2-0 edge. In the middle frame, Brayden McNabb fired a pass from the defensive zone that caught a streaking Ivan Barbashev in the neutral zone and Barbashev fired home his first of the season. Jared McCann got the Kraken on the board midway through the second and the Golden Knights carried a 3-1 lead into the final 20 minutes. Jack Eichel's empty-net goal cemented the 4-1 win for the Golden Knights as they improved to 6-1-0 in home openers in team history.
MAKING HISTORY
Before the game against the Kraken, the Golden Knights raised the first Stanley Cup Champions banner in franchise history. The team took the ice together and watched Mark Stone skate through the giant gold helmet with the Stanley Cup over his head. After a victory lap, Stone pulled the lever on a giant slot machine and the Golden Knights huddle to watch the screen produce three Stanley Cup logos. The banner emerged from the slot machine as everyone in T-Mobile Arena watched the banner make its ascent into the rafters at T-Mobile Arena where it will forever commemorate the team's first championship.
TOP PERFORMERS
Adin Hill: Hill made 32 saves to snag the first victory of the season.
Chandler Stephenson: Stephenson had a pair of points (1G, 1A) in the win.
Mark Stone: Stone picked up his first two assists of the season.
Jonathan Marchessault: Marchessault's goal late in the first period stood as the game-winning goal.
BECAUSE VGK WON...
When the Golden Knights win, you win! Get 31% off menu priced pizzas at Pizza Hut the day after every win using code VGKWINS on PizzaHut.com.
ATTENDANCE: 18,724 - a Golden Knights regular season record!
LOOKING AHEAD
The Golden Knights hit the road to visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at SAP Center. Tune in on Vegas 34, KnightTime+, and FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340.
